https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-723-Lanchi-s-Leisurely-After-class/12585192/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-725-The-Ice-Witch-and-Hyberrian-s-Double-Surprise/12585197/
Chapter 724: Hurry Back, Hurberlian
Chapter 724: Hurry Back, Hurberlian
The following day.
In the war-torn Southern Continent, from the Noxus Mountains to Palton's Obsidian Island, from the Brin Snow Canyon to the Ishanti Meteor Bay, the Eastern Kingdom's homeland and strategic points lay in ruins. Towns were flattened, crops and treasures plundered, and innocent civilians slaughtered. Despite the valiant efforts of the warriors, the enemy remained relentless in their cruelty.
Although the Southern Front of the United Parliament Alliance in the Eastern Region of the Kingdom was in a dire situation, the heartland of the Herton Kingdom, Icariot, remained the safest place.
On this autumn morning, with a hint of pale bluish-gray in the sky, the city seemed more solemn than usual, as if winter would arrive earlier this year.
In the eastern district of Icariot, on a street east of Icariot Academy, stood a wooden house next to a garden filled with vibrant flowers, their fragrance wafting in the breeze.
It was still early, and the restaurant below, known as "Cat Boss," was not yet open for business.
Upstairs, in a room with walls painted in soft shades of cream, light orange, and beige, and furnished with polished wooden furniture, Hurberlian sat in a carved wooden chair, sipping a delicate floral tea. The aroma of the tea lingered on her lips.
A vintage magic phonograph played a soft, melodious tune, filling the morning air with a nostalgic sense of the olden days of Icariot.
"Ah, I can't go out." Hurberlian sighed.
She wore a loose silk dress, its pale beige color accented with elegant embroidery from her ducal family. Her silver hair was tied back in a simple bun, with two slender strands falling gracefully onto her shoulders.
Even when she ventured out, she was always accompanied by at least two Great Demons, ensuring her protection from any Imperial spies who might have infiltrated Icariot.
With Anthanas and Shinora by her side, it was virtually impossible for enemies to employ any tricks to bypass them or lure Hurberlian away from their watchful eyes.
For now, any Imperial assassins of the sixth rank who dared to target Hurberlian would meet their demise, as the presence of two eighth-rank Great Demons was an insurmountable challenge.
Even the Duke's exploration missions had been temporarily halted.
They had been so close to unlocking the underground treasury of the Alansar family, but for Hurberlian's safety, Pranai had forbidden Anthanas and Shinora from accompanying her on such ventures.
Hurberlian longed for the days when she could go wherever she pleased without restriction.
While the constant presence of three Great Demons offered a sense of reassurance, it also reminded her of her time in the Demon King's Castle in Nakalis. Even the Cat Boss restaurant had begun to feel like a miniature fortress.
Anthanas and Shinora had enjoyed their time at the Duke's mansion, experimenting with various outfits and styling Hurberlian according to their whims. Eventually, Hurberlian stopped resisting, allowing them to indulge in their playful makeovers.
Her current hairstyle was one such creation of Anthanas.
With Talia away, either Anthanas or Shinora would stay with her at night, providing around-the-clock protection.
Meanwhile, Pranai kept a close eye on the Wilford family.
On his frequent stealth visits to reinforce their barriers, he would be greeted by the family head, Noe, who would insist on hosting him, discussing the war, and sharing his concerns about his son, Lanchi, who had a habit of wandering during such perilous times. Noe never failed to praise Pranai, calling him "a reliable and well-mannered friend from Talia's hometown." It seemed Pranai was well on his way to becoming an honorary member of the Wilford family.
"It's a relief that the Wilford family moved from the South Van Tina territory to the Icariot royal capital long ago. It would be wonderful if they decided to settle here permanently," Hurberlian mused.
She picked up a newspaper from the tea table and began to browse through it.
While South Van Tina was indeed lovely, she had taken a liking to Icariot.
Based on her understanding of Lanchi, she suspected he would be the type to readily agree to an arranged marriage, especially if it meant he could retire peacefully at the age of twenty. Even considering the distant future, she believed he would choose Icariot.
"My, what am I thinking?" Hurberlian shook her head, laughing at her own thoughts.
Being alone in the room often led to her mind wandering.
Shinora was in the room next door, as their homes were all located on the second floor of the Cat Boss restaurant, making them neighbors. Anthanas, who had helped style Hurberlian's hair earlier that morning, had gone downstairs to prepare breakfast and would be back soon.
Having a bosom friend by her side, Hurberlian unexpectedly felt a sense of fantasy, as it was something she had never experienced in her life.
"Whoa!"
The fox's cry caught Hurberlian's attention, bringing her back to her senses.
At her feet was a sleek black fox with golden, lively eyes and a graceful figure. It gazed up at her obediently.
Hurberlian gently picked up a delicate pastry from the silver plate on the small round tea table and hand-fed it to the fox.
The fox took it cautiously and ate it with relish, happily shaking its head.
What Hurberlian didn't notice was that Anthanas had already returned to the door, holding a box of breakfast.
"..."
Anthanas watched as Hurberlian, listening to the soft melody, fed the fox and browsed through the newspaper in the armchair.
She felt a lump in her throat, as if she had seen an old acquaintance.
"Hey, Hu Bao, don't you feel like you've become more like Talia?" Anthanas finally stepped into the living room and quipped.
After spending more than two months here alone, without Talia by her side, Hurberlian had indeed started to resemble Talia more and more.
The only difference was that Hurberlian exuded an innate nobility, making her seem not so much retired, but rather like a wealthy housewife.
"Really? Can I really become like Talia?"
Hurberlian thought about it and asked in confusion.
In her heart, the ideal woman was Talia—noble, aloof, and with a motherly aura honed over the years. No matter how one looked at her, Talia was a perfect woman.
Hurberlian felt that there was still a big difference between her and Talia; at the very least, Lanchi wouldn't confuse the two of them.
"Forget it, let's eat first."
Anthanas shook her head.
Undeniably, although the situation outside was tense, Lanchi's instructions to Hurberlian were to ensure absolute safety.
So, in the end, the best course of action was for Hurberlian to stay put in Icariot and do nothing.
Just as she opened the box, Hurberlian seemed to hear something. She took out a translucent communication card that glowed with a purple light.
Someone was trying to reach her.
She answered it, and a cold, clear voice came through—
"Hurberlian, it's me."
These simple words caused Hurberlian's eyes to widen in surprise.
"Almyris, I miss you so much!"
Hurberlian quickly sat up straight in her lounge chair, her voice filled with delight.
When Talia was absent in the Northern Continent, the Ice Snow Witch had been her only source of comfort, and she had always longed for her teacher to contact her.
However, the Ice Snow Witch was even busier now, almost taking over all of High Priest Loren's work in the Herton Kingdom, so Hurberlian couldn't disturb her.
Moreover, for some reason, Hurberlian felt that her teacher had been deliberately avoiding her, as if putting on a show for someone, telling that person that their relationship wasn't so close, so they shouldn't try to threaten her with Hurberlian.
Before Hurberlian could reminisce further—
"Where are you now? I'll come to you."
The Ice Snow Witch's voice carried a hint of fatigue and gravity.
"East of Yala Fortress City, No. 34 Gerden Street, Cat Boss Restaurant."
Hurberlian replied immediately.
Her heart raced as she felt that her teacher, the Ice Snow Witch, was coming to find her.
"Wait for me for a moment."
The Ice Snow Witch replied and hung up the communication magic.
For a few seconds after the call ended, Hurberlian hesitated, then stood up from the lounge chair, cheering and jumping for joy.
"Hurberlian, do you have a passive skill that summons a Demon Clan mom when no one is taking care of you?" Anthanas teased, sensing Hurberlian's joy even from across the room.
"No way. Sometimes, neither Talia, Almyris, nor Kaliella can take care of me."
Hurberlian pretended to glare at Anthanas, not liking this "summoning mom" passive skill.
"Well, if you're in dire straits and can't summon a Demon Clan mom, you'll pay your dues and summon a male mom instead."
Anthanas thought carefully and added.
"..."
Hurberlian couldn't refute that.
It did seem like that was the case...
"But anyway, that's not called a male mom..."
She lowered her head and mumbled reluctantly.
"Then what is it called?"
Antanas furrowed her eyebrows and asked with keen interest, "Then, what's it called...?"
Hurberlian poked her fingers together, her face reddening as she struggled to get the words out.
It wasn't until she murmured something in an almost inaudible voice, taking advantage of Antanas' momentary daze, that she quickly ran away.
...
Over ten minutes later, a slender figure arrived at the entrance of the Cat Boss restaurant.
She wore sunglasses, her silver eyes reflecting the sunlight off the glass of the wooden restaurant building, hidden behind the dark lenses. Her white hair danced gently in the wind, as light as snowflakes.
Before she could reach out to touch the door, her hand paused.
There was an extremely powerful barrier inside the restaurant that blocked all magical probing.
It was as if the building were a black box, its interior impossible to discern through any magical means before entering.
Undoubtedly, this was the handiwork of Anthanas, Shinora, and Pranai.
The restaurant was unusually close to Icariot Academy, and even Asina, one of Loren's students, worked here as a chef. The Ice Snow Witch found it hard to believe that Loren wasn't aware of the existence of this magical fortress right under his nose.
If it had been in the past when Loren was still alive, she would have thought that Asina's position as a chef was a front, merely a means to fulfill Loren's wishes and build a bridge with the Demon Clan.
But now, with the news of Loren's death in battle, the Ice Snow Witch had been stunned for a long while.
She investigated through the night, and in the end, the only conclusion she could draw was that Loren had truly been defeated by the three war gods.
She felt a sense of emptiness in her heart and even realized that perhaps she had been outwitting thin air for too long, misunderstanding this kind man.
Each time, she firmly believed that Loren had planned everything and would eventually turn the tables and win in the end. But this time, as the Ice Snow Witch looked at the investigation report from the Kingdom of Yalong, she only felt a sense of despair.
She didn't know why, but she still couldn't let go of her last shred of fantasy, suspecting that this man might have faked his death and was now embarking on a path of evil in the Krexi Empire.
However, the cruel fact was that she would never see this man again. She had been so foolish to constantly suspect such a kind person.
The Ice Snow Witch wiped away her tears, her eyes once again firm with determination, and she pushed open the door.
She, too, had her mission.
The scent of oatmeal and cheese still lingered in the air on the first floor of the restaurant.
Apparently, the permanent staff had just finished their breakfast and were indulging in some casual conversation.
They were chatting with Hurberlian, who was on the first floor.
The wind chimes of the Cat Boss restaurant suddenly rang out, breaking the usual tranquility.
One distinctive feature of this wooden building was its curved roof, with eaves that extended far beyond the walls. Under the deep eaves hung a string of wind chimes that tinkled pleasantly whenever a gentle breeze blew or a customer arrived.
They all turned towards the entrance.
It was clear that the restaurant was not yet open for business, and the ringing of the wind chimes indicated that someone had returned.
Of course, for the three Great Demons, the sound of the wind chimes was unnecessary to alert them to the presence of a customer at the door.
The white-haired, light-eyed figure pushed open the door and stepped into the restaurant.
For a moment, she paused in her tracks.
She seemed to sense something unusual about this place.
On the surface, the interior of the restaurant was simple and elegant, with wooden tables and chairs, and floors that exuded a mild pine scent. The walls were adorned with handcrafted items and old books.
However, she quickly discovered that the wooden building was filled with intricate ancient Demon Clan barriers. Even if she were to take action here, it would likely be a one-way trip, and only through the collaboration of several Great Demons could such a feat be accomplished.
Undoubtedly, this was the result of Hurberlian, the three Great Demons she had brought back from Helrom Prison in the Northern Continent, and Talia's hard work over an extended period.
This place had far exceeded the standards of a regular restaurant.
If someone told her that this was a small Demon King's palace, she would believe it.
But Loren was dead, and all misunderstandings had been cleared.
"Hurberlian, it's been a long time."
The Ice Snow Witch gazed at the familiar figure of the young girl, who was now looking at her, and the three figures behind her, who seemed to be employees of the restaurant.
No matter how complex the magical environment was here, she believed it was all for the sake of protecting Hurberlian.
"Almyris, I thought you didn't want me anymore!"
Hurberlian was initially hesitant, but upon seeing the tenderness in her teacher's eyes, she quickened her pace and rushed over to embrace the Ice Snow Witch, Almyris.
Even though she didn't know why her teacher had come to find her today, in this moment of their reunion, Hurberlian's heart was filled with relief.
(End of Chapter)
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